Laiser Hill keen to restore fading rugby 7s glory

After years of playing second fiddle to their peers, former national and East Africa rugby 7s champions Laiser Hill Academy are eager to reclaim their place on the big boys’ table.

They made a low-key return to the national stage last year, finishing 10th overall, and are now keen to go all out and secure their ticket to the 2026 East Africa games set for Morogoro, Tanzania.

They are among the 16 teams that will be battling for national glory at this year’s Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two games to be staged from August 2-6 at Mpesa Foundation Academy, Thika.

Though this year’s national lineup looks fairly new following the elimination of last year’s regional champions, they will have to be at their best to achieve their objectives. Laiser Hill captain Benson Otieno said they have been preparing well for this year’s challenge and know what to expect at the nationals.

“We are determined to perform better than we did last year because we now know what to expect. Last year was a first for all of us, and we didn’t have any experience of competing on a bigger stage, but we will capitalise on the invaluable lessons to achieve our objectives,” Otieno said.

He added that they will carry their fighting spirit from the Rift Valley games where they battled top teams to reclaim the regional trophy.

“The regional competition was equally tough, but we remained focused, gave our best and played each match as if it was the final. Our efforts paid off, and I believe that if we carry the same positive energy and fighting spirit, we will achieve our goals.”

Laiser Hill beat St Anthony’s 20-0 in the Rift Valley final to reclaim the regional trophy that had eluded them since 2019 and are one of the only four teams that survived at the regionals. Others are Nairobi School, Anjego from Nyanza, and Kitondo School from the Eastern Region. However, despite the new lineup, Laiser Hill face an uphill task going against national returnees who are determined to also reclaim their lost glory. 

Laiser Hill and Upper Hill will renew one of the fiercest schools’ rugby rivalries off all time if they meet in Thika. The two sides will rekindle their bitter sweet relations that have over the year’s shaped schools’ rugby since their days as rivals within the now defunct Metropolitan Region. While Upper Hill will be looking to strike a double having triumphed in the longer version of the game in Kisumu during the National Term One games, Laiser Hill will be out to avenge their 2019 losses.

Upper Hill hit Laiser Hill where it hurt most by snatching both the national and East Africa titles they had won in 2018. Fate delayed their quest for revenge when Covid-19 hit in 2020, forcing the suspension of the game for two years. In 2022, Laiser Hill, who were rebuilding the team, failed to qualify for the games in three consecutive years, only making it last year.